# The slope.........seriously.



## steelheaderdu (Aug 18, 2006)

Alright guys,

I thought I could manage the slope, but things are getting out of control. I have been telling myself "just one more box" for about 2 months now...and my coolerdor had just accepted it 4th box, with 4 more on the way. In the beginning (4 months ago) I promised myself I would only buy with m DEBIT card, but have placed my last few orders on a CREDIT card. I've never carried a balance on my credit card in my life, but now I've got one, be it less than $1,000, though. I'll cut up my damn card before it gets any higher... 

I came on last night with the intention of browsing CS, but the site was down. I had to get my fix. So I pulled up with websites of all my vendors just to peruse and make a wish list.

Well, one of the vendors had a certain CAB that has been ridiculously hard to find FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD. I've never even burned one of these smokes, but I just had to have this CAB-- and for the price, who could go wrong, right?

I know it comes down to discipline, but do you guys have any tricks for decreasing the grade of this slope? I justify it by saying to myself, "If I don't like them, or if I need to, I can always sell them for what I paid...." But in the back of my mind, I know that I'd rather cut my foot off that part with my new treasures... 

Any hints would be greatly appreciated, and I'm sure (I hope) others are having the same dilemna...and please don't suggest a box split. I love opening up that box knowing that all of the soldiers belong to me  and those who I decide to share them with. :w 

All the best to my buddies in the Jungle this upcoming year! You guys are becomign like a second family to me  

John


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## burninator (Jul 11, 2006)

Maybe 10 or 12 box splits would be helpful.


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## Sandman (Mar 26, 2006)

Let me just say...................................................................................your not alone! Here is some advise that I never use.:r Self control, and staying away from the vendor sites, ignoring sales, and not reading any reviews. This way you won't be tempted. Alot easier said than done. Sorry to say but I believe you will have a fine collection within the next year. 


Good luck!


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## Boston_Dude05 (Oct 10, 2006)

After reading this, I must stay away from the ISOM slope...I can do it, I can do it, I can do it...


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## ToddziLLa (Oct 17, 2005)

I feel bad now...  

What cab did you order?


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## steelheaderdu (Aug 18, 2006)

ToddziLLa said:


> I feel bad now...
> 
> What cab did you order?


the PLPCs:dr Next time I call you for advice on a particular smoke, tell me they're dog rockets :fu

Seriously, I can't wait to try them. I'm always grumpy and regretful about my purchases until they arrive. Then I feel much better. And I've got to buy them now 'cause in 5 months, I won't have ANY in the budget. Right, Todd? Please make me feel better about myself :r


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## ToddziLLa (Oct 17, 2005)

steelheaderdu said:


> Please make me feel better about myself :r


Buy all you can now! Good choice too.


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## mastershogun (Nov 3, 2006)

I usually split with friends... I keep about half and split the rest... works for me


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## kjd2121 (Jul 13, 2006)

You did read the thread about the "LETTERS" right. This has curbed me plenty.


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## RPB67 (Mar 26, 2005)

Dam outages cost people money everytime. :r 

Shopping for cigars was a good thing and the cab you scored even better.


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## boonedoggle (Jun 23, 2006)

Yes, I am in the same boat as you...well, not as bad, but I can see myself getting there. Now that I have a coolerdor, I can buy lots of boxes, if I wanted to. There always seems to be an AWESOME deal that you just can't pass up! Anyways, I'm going to do my best and wait until my birthday to buy another box...and that is in March, so we'll see how that goes. Good luck to you and try smoking more to decrease your stock! :w


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## Bigga Petey (Mar 25, 2005)

Here is what happens....

You buy a box. 
Inevitably you decide they are terrific smokes. 
Invariably you decide your humi cannot be without 'that' stick.
Then you might buy a box in a different vitola or marque.
Inevitably you decide they are terrific smokes. 
Invariably you decide your humi cannot be without 'that' stick.
You read a review or find a good deal. 
Once again you might buy a box in another different vitola or marque. 
Inevitably you decide they are terrific smokes. 
Invariably you decide your humi cannot be without 'that' stick.
Somebody bombs you without mercy.
You sample another fine cigar.
Inevitably you decide they are terrific smokes. 
Invariably you decide your humi cannot be without 'that' stick.
In the meantime the inventory from your first box is waning. 
Invariably you decide your humi cannot be without 'that' stick.

See where this is going? 
It's hopeless.
Get that second mortage.
Cash in that life insurance.
The kids can get student loans.

I used to be happy with a 50 ct humi. 
Those were the days. 
And I still feel good about myself.


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## mhillsing23 (Apr 18, 2006)

Your only hope is just to avoid those sites until you are able to make a purchase. It is a hard thing to do, I know. I follow your rule of not holiding any CC balances, and so far that has worked too. I just can't justify CC debt for cigars, or for any non-emergency for that matter.


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## burninator (Jul 11, 2006)

mhillsing23 said:


> Your only hope is just to avoid those sites until you are able to make a purchase. It is a hard thing to do, I know. I follow your rule of not holiding any CC balances, and so far that has worked too. I just can't justify CC debt for cigars, or for any non-emergency for that matter.


:tpd: The sooner I'm out of debt, the sooner I'll be able to buy whatever I want.


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## Airborne RU (Oct 7, 2006)

Well I guess a few questions are in order.

Are you married? You wife may want to know about these large purchases.

Are you saving enough (Roth IRA, 401k) for your future?

What does your income vice bills picture look like?

Have a long term financial goal in mind and see how this hobby fits into this plan.

By purchasing these fine smokes with a credit card not only are you purchasing the product, but you are also purchasing debt. Stick to cash and only after you've satisfied all other needs first.

Just a thought.


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## bpegler (Mar 30, 2006)

kjd2121 said:


> You did read the thread about the "LETTERS" right. This has curbed me plenty.


I ordered two boxes (Monte Edmundos and Upmann Mag 46s) right after I read the thread.

I'm sicker than others, I fear...


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## steelheaderdu (Aug 18, 2006)

RPB67 said:


> Dam outages cost people money everytime. :r
> 
> Shopping for cigars was a good thing and the cab you scored even better.


Thanks for making me feel better, RPB.  If there's any consolation to my addiction, it's that I like fairly inexpensive smokes. I haven't fallen down the Cohiba slope yet :w

I used to think $6 was a lot to pay for a single smoke (after I did the math and figured out how much money I actually had to make (before taxes) to pay for it). Then I found an excellent way to justify that-- a good beer at any pub costs $5-6. Damn me and my justifications...


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## azn_fury (Aug 27, 2006)

I go asian on myself and say I can find a better deal when there really is no better deal lol. So far it has worked. As long as I don't realize that I have a decent price on a box or cab that I am looking at I have to keep looking for a lower price.


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## steelheaderdu (Aug 18, 2006)

Airborne RU said:


> Well I guess a few questions are in order.
> 
> Are you married? You wife may want to know about these large purchases.
> 
> ...


1) Just turned 25, married, wife 3 months pregnant with our first, doesn't care about the purchases as long as it's made with my money-- nor do I care that she buys every Coach purse ever made wth her money.

2) Contributing 10% of income into 401K (which isn't much on my salary)

3) All bills are paid on time, and extra 10% of mortgage payment goes directly to principal every month, 30% equity in our house, cars paid for... Small amounts in mutual funds, but only a couple K in quick, liquid funds. Credit card purchases are 0% interest.

With the baby on the way, I'm trying to have my fun while I still can.....kinda like a last hurrah. The planning part comes naturally, but the slope has a ridiculously strong pull.

Starting a new job in 2 weeks with a significantly higher salary-- one of the only reasons I bought the smokes. I've been treating myself for the last few weeks, knowing that I should be able to pay for the treats at the end of the month (couldn't pass up the ridiculous sales).

I'm just afraid of the more expensive slope. I may have to lock the credit cards up.


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## Eternal Rider (Feb 27, 2006)

I know how you feel. I just got a cab of PLPC inthe other day. I looked at the vendor sites and they are sold out now. I paid cash and I got them in time, that is how I am justifying it to myself.


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## Old Sailor (Jul 27, 2006)

Ah, the sloop has it's gravitational grip on you now, soon....it'll draw you too close and down...down....you go:r .Enjoy yourself while you can.:2


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## stogie_kanobie_one (Feb 9, 2006)

Okay,... seriously. *Time*. Time is the only cure I've found. I amassed a collection of thousands across 4 humidors and a coolerdor with no end in sight in a relatively short period of time. Then 3 things happened.

- At some point I began to realize how long it would take me to even come close to smoking them all.

- I ran into situations where I really wanted a specific cigar but likewise had another never tried stick calling my name.

- I started to also realize that if I put together a good rotation of sticks it would be weeks or months before I ever repeated myself....

- Oh and I'll throw in a fourth.... not all of the sticks in the collection are serious winners .

Cigar overload became the order of the night. When I hit bullet three above though I really began to realize that I didn't REALLY have to have each box on my wish list. I've gone from buying boxes a week to not having made a purchase in several months. I've gone from *having *to have boxes to being okay with 5'ers. Boxes are real rarity now and even then they are usually something '*special*'. I think that that is the natural order of it. At some point you realize that this rush we are in to try everything new all the time is pointless. There is always that next must try. After you've had enough of *them *you'll find a pace that is good for you. Storage issues, temperatures, obsessing in general.... There is a personal equilibrium in there grasshopper. You must find yours.


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## audio1der (Mar 8, 2006)

burninator said:


> :tpd: The sooner I'm out of debt, the sooner I'll be able to buy whatever I want.


:tpd: but on my way- more slowly than I'd like thanks to this vice.(I's my only vice)


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## ATLHARP (May 3, 2005)

burninator said:


> :tpd: The sooner I'm out of debt, the sooner I'll be able to buy whatever I want.


Yeah.................right. You're doomed!

ATL


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## dyj48 (May 1, 2006)

Sloowww it down....I agree with stogie kanobie one...buy smaller numbers...and then really put a limit on your buying (i.e. one buy per month). As soon as you feel the temptation, go to your humi and look at everything you've already got and just relax. I have a special contract where I get a certain dollar figure every month and that's the only money I use for cigars...

This is not easy...the slope is dangerous and slippery....trying to slow down and creep back up takes a lot of effort and will power...particularly when you read reviews on vintage cigars...for some, there will never be enough cigars and it's easy to fall into that trap...

Good luck...it's addictive...:al


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## Blaylock-cl (Apr 28, 2006)

Here is my perspective on this, from someone twice your age.

I am getting close to deciding if and when I will retire. I am looking at what savings I've accumulated and how much I need when I stop my career. Some people will be in a position to say "thank goodness I saved enough" and some may say "where has all the money gone"...cigars, coach purses, etc...was it worth it?... Maybe. 

It all comes down to what your priorities are, how much you can afford to spend, and how much you want in your "golden years"... and how you will feel when you get there. 

I would agree that one may want to find the "equilibrium"...between enjoying life now and preparing for the future as well. Hope you find it!

Having said that...I'm guilty of spending more on cigars now than I ever did in the past.


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## omowasu (Aug 9, 2006)

When your coolerdor gets full, you will start second guessing any additional purchases, guaranteed...

... until you buy another coolerdor!


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## awesome1 (Dec 13, 2006)

Forget retirement, forget the babies college, just buy cigars. Forget the 1-4 boxes a month. When you arrivehome your wife should be standing next to a pile of packages taller than her. Do that once a month and you will be very very happy. Keep servicing that debt though because that is your icke to higher credit lines and more cigars. Credit cards getting close to maxed out, call them up and get a higher limit or get more cards.. After awhile you will recieve letters in the mail to consolidate all that debt.. do it.. Get the 6 cards back to a managable 2 and then you have 4 free to purchase with again.. 

Now, ater all the cards are maxed completely, then you can tap into the 401k and equity in the house.. Sounds like youve built up some nice equity already anyway so why not use it?

If all else fails theres always bacnruptcy and then you can start all over again!!!

Seriously though.. Buy wht you can afford. Buy a 5 pack and lots of 5 packs.. still satisfying to try new cigars yet the cost is way lower. 

At one point I was appraching about 40k in cigars.. It about 1/2 that now and I only bought a couple boxes last year.. The reality is that cigars you like now will probably not appeal to you in several years.. Its only been about 7 for me and already I am down to buying only about 10 cigars that I really like now. Yes others are ok for a change of pace once in awhile but for the most part many of todays current production is too mild.. Keep that in mind when you are buying for the long term. 

Another thing you can do is do some blind trades.. i used to do them all the time when I first started and now I have one humi wih about 300 cigars in it all abou 6-9 years old and smoking beautifully.. Better than any box I could possibly buy right now.. Its also fun todig through them and find soe gems that you forgot about.. 

One last thing, if you do ever amass a large quantity of cigars you will never have to worry about losing money on them, and if the embargo happens to end sometim in the near future you could realize a 3-5 fold increase in the value..


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## muziq (Mar 14, 2005)

Seriously, I feel you man...this slope is dangerous. I'm still searching for a balance myself. I'm not sure how close I am to it, but for about thirty minutes this morning I actually pondered ordering an Aristocrat humi, and got to thinking about the dimensions for an investment like that. I mean, if I'm gonna go *that* route, I want to get the biggest, baddest humi with set'n'forget as I can. 100-box capacity? Probably not enough, I think to myself. I ponder what it would cost to get a wall-unit-sized humi built by Staebell & Assoc. Might be almost as much as a _used car_. And I found myself actually thinking, hmm, I wonder if I can get a signature loan for that? Needless to say, I backed away from that cliff...but oh how the pull toward it is STRONG! I justify some recent purchases on having just started a new job with a much nicer salary...but that justification only goes so far. Mean to say that if you have an epiphany in this search for balance, by all means, share it!


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## drdice (Sep 11, 2006)

Same thing happening to me. After dabbling in Backwoods for the last couple of years it was almost exactly one year ago that I started to get into Cigars....primarily Habanos.

This is an expensive hobby/habit. I'm trying to turn it into more of a hobby than a habit. My New Years resolution was to cut my weekly cigar total approximately in half. I've been averaging b/w 7-10 sticks a week and want to get it down to about 5 a week. This should help with inventory control. My goal is to build a large inventory of smokes over the next couple of years but at the same time trying to slowly cut down my smoking rate per week. Ideally I'd love to be a "weekend" social smoker having 1 or 2 sticks only. 

Another part of the strategy is to try and find an economical "daily" or "usual" smoke allowing yourself to slowly as you can afford to build your inventory of "finer" smokes. Everyone keeps talking about how much better cigars get with age...especially 5 years or so. I'm trying to keep my targets more realistic...ie buying the good stuff to age for a year or so....then as inventory grows being able to bump it to 2 years etc...

I think this hobby/habit of ours takes time and unfortunately we ALL get caught up in the here and now. I too am trying to work on being patient and giving it time to develop at a rate that I can comfortably afford.

Don't borrow money to do this. Only disposable income. Maybe there's other areas in your life that you can cut back on a bit....just like the situation you mentioned where a decent beer is gonna cost you 5-6 bucks at a local pub.

We're going down the slope together....but hopefully with some common sense we can all go down it nice and slow!!!


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## Navydoc (Jan 26, 2005)

Hopefully you never find the "vintage" slope........


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## cigarflip (Jul 4, 2004)

Navydoc said:


> Hopefully you never find the "vintage" slope........


Or the "aged" slope Doc. That can really get you in trouble.


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## LSUTIGER (Jan 13, 2004)

like another poster said, just think of the 'New Letters' and the possibility that the Feds are out to get you! :gn


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## a2vr6 (Oct 28, 2006)

May I offer some assistance? How about some box splits? Or sell some fivers...:r


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## ColdCuts (Jul 21, 2006)

azn_fury said:


> I go asian on myself...


Huh?


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## Navydoc (Jan 26, 2005)

cigarflip said:


> Or the "aged" slope Doc. That can really get you in trouble.


:r ...indeed Larry....indeed


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## burninator (Jul 11, 2006)

ColdCuts said:


> Huh?


I think he means he's turning Japanese.


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## hyper_dermic (Dec 17, 2006)

I feel your pain brother, being very new to this myself.... (less than 5 months)
the ground has quickly slipped away.
It took about 2 weeks for me to find an excellent botique cigar shop.
another 2 weeks for me to find this sight along with other review sights.
a few months to digest the info on this board and actually JOIN and begin posting
a month to get a fancy pants humidor 
a month to stock the fancy pants humidor to "overflow" capacity
about 4 months to introduce myself to the Dark side
and now, at about 5 months... i have sitting in front of me. a 100qt colman X-treme cooler, and 2 lbs of beads on the way.
im working on sampling all of the ISOMS , well not ALL of them, just the popular ones... and there sure are alot of em 
and after i have sampled a good portion of the popular ISOMs, its time to start buying boxes of ISOMS and NC to fill the coolerdor.

Then i looked at my checking account!

Im single, i do have a good amount of debt in a new car and new motorcycle, and i pay my own way through college. but those are my only real expenses.
My job pays very well for a kid in college *well, i dunno if im a "kid" at 27 but i feel like one*
but after starting this hobby, my bank account has fallen to the lowest point it has ever been.
i dare say this is bordeing on addiction...
I had to set limits on myself, and i almost broke them last night!!!
im allowing myself one small order this month.. a box split with others..
and last night, for some reason i logged onto holts, and i almost ended up getting the carlito's way sampler and a tatujae sampler..
i already have the carlito's way sampler!! my gf got it for me for xmas, but i just HAD to have another!!
I stared at that "checkout" button for a while, i even entered in all my info..
but at the last second, i closed the browser.

I know i already have obsessive/collecter tendencies... i love finding rare/fancy/nice things and collecting them. i love doing research on products finding the best deals, etc, etc.. this "hobby" satisfys those needs, almost too well...

a slippery slope indeed.

Whew, that felt good to get off my chest.
i think we should start a support group!
CBA
Cigar Buyers Anonymous lol

-hyp

almost forgot, screw the "new letters" and "FEDS" 
belive me, they have bigger fish to fry
lets just say i know someone who used to order things from overseas that customs didnt like, and this guy got a "letter" from customs.
the contents of said letter were "we have your shit, if u want it come and get it, dont do this again dumbass"

dont get yourselves worked up about it... but at the same time, dont do anything outright stupid. the feds will tolerate a little circumventing of the law, but if you rub their face in it, they will shut you down. (people who got busted were most likely getting LARGE shipments and re-selling them for profit here in the USA)

Oh, and you have the patriot act to blame for all of this (FEDS are now able to search your transactions without warrent)
Hrmmph.. good for our country INDEED.... 
i hate to say it.. but ive been waiting so long to say it... I TOLD YOU SO!!! 
hyp <-- -runs away


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## steelheaderdu (Aug 18, 2006)

Lots of good conversation on this thread. Thanks all for participating. I hate to sa it, but I'm really glad I have company  

Maybe I'll just use the money I make building my fly rods on cigars... If I don't sell any rods, I can't buy any cigars. If I sell 5 rods, lookout  That's play money anyway. But it might cut into some of my fishing trips :w


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## El Presidente (Aug 24, 2006)

hyper_dermic said:


> I feel your pain brother, being very new to this myself.... (less than 5 months)
> the ground has quickly slipped away.
> It took about 2 weeks for me to find an excellent botique cigar shop.
> another 2 weeks for me to find this sight along with other review sights.
> ...


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## LSUTIGER (Jan 13, 2004)

hyper_dermic said:


> I feel your pain brother, being very new to this myself.... (less than 5 months)
> the ground has quickly slipped away.
> It took about 2 weeks for me to find an excellent botique cigar shop.
> another 2 weeks for me to find this sight along with other review sights.
> ...


You have no clue.

This is bad advice if there ever was any.

BOTL's are getting hit with fines at this very moment.


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## Blaylock-cl (Apr 28, 2006)

"...almost forgot, screw the "new letters" and "FEDS"..." -hyp

Some of the letters that are being referred to are not coming from customs. IMO...I don't think that it would be wise to follow the ..."screw" them advice, if you get some of the letters I have seen and read on cigar forums.


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## LSUTIGER (Jan 13, 2004)

Blake Lockhart said:


> "...almost forgot, screw the "new letters" and "FEDS"..." -hyp
> 
> Some of the letters that are being referred to are not coming from customs. IMO...I don't think that it would be wise to follow the ..."screw" them advice, if you get some of the letters I have seen and read on cigar forums.


This is from a letter that was sent to a BOTL after he did not respond to one of the 'new letters' (from another forum)



> You are hereby notified that OFAC intends to issue a claim against you for a civil monetary penalty of $1,170.00.


Screw the new letters? :sl


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## MeNimbus (Dec 18, 2006)

Give your credit/debit card to your significant other. Then share a bank account with him/her. This will level out your slope :r


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## Even Steven (Dec 15, 2006)

haha I feel your pain! Early last month, I bought a 5er of RASC that actually made it to my house(never ordered habanos before), about a week later, I bought a box of RASC and a 5er of Trini. Reyes.


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## hyper_dermic (Dec 17, 2006)

LSUTIGER said:


> You have no clue.
> 
> This is bad advice if there ever was any.
> 
> BOTL's are getting hit with fines at this very moment.


I have not seen any evidence of this.
Rumors fly fast on these boards.
You think its really worth the Govt's time and $ to go after someone importing under $500 dollars with of cigars? or even under $1k woth of cigars?

People who get caught are getting abnormally high amounts and selling them for profit.

And who do you personally know that is getting fined at this very moment?
what makes you the authority on this subject?
because you read a thread in a forum?
because you know someone who knows someone?
cuz the internet said so?
My opnion is just as valid as yours, so thank you, i have a clue.


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## hyper_dermic (Dec 17, 2006)

LSUTIGER said:


> This is from a letter that was sent to a BOTL after he did not respond to one of the 'new letters' (from another forum)
> 
> Screw the new letters? :sl


Oh so your saying its a random post from a random guy on the internet.
thats hard evidence if ive ever seen it, hang on while i burn everything in my humidor.

Its not like this was EVER "ok" to make these transactions. People are getting worked up for nothing.

actually you know what? your right... stop buying... infact you should rid yourself of your stash.. just give me your address, and i will dispose of it for you.

-hyp


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## ColdCuts (Jul 21, 2006)

Uh oh. :mn


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## hyper_dermic (Dec 17, 2006)

Heheh, did the claws come out back there... yea i guess i get a bit testy when people start telling me to "get a clue". when their basis for evidence is random posts on forums. and yes, ive read the threads already. I dont see these "new letters" stopping anybody... but if it scares you, by all means stop, more for me

-hyp


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## LSUTIGER (Jan 13, 2004)

hyper_dermic said:


> Heheh, did the claws come out back there... yea i guess i get a bit testy when people start telling me to "get a clue". when their basis for evidence is random posts on forums. and yes, ive read the threads already. I dont see these "new letters" stopping anybody... but if it scares you, by all means stop, more for me
> 
> -hyp


where did I say "get a clue"

I said "You have no clue" - it is obvious from your posts.

The fines are real, the proof is out there. Do some research :fu


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## hyper_dermic (Dec 17, 2006)

LSUTIGER said:


> where did I say "get a clue"
> 
> I said "You have no clue" - it is obvious from your posts.
> 
> The fines are real, the proof is out there. Do some research :fu


Right, im the guy quoting posts in a forum as hard evidence.

Any possible fines are an isolated incident.
Everyone knows what they are getting into when they make these decisions.
but if you wanna play chicken little, by all means....

-hyp


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## okierock (Feb 24, 2006)

o


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## pistol (Mar 23, 2006)

hyper_dermic said:


> Right, im the guy quoting posts in a forum as hard evidence.
> 
> -hyp


I don't have a dog in this, but isn't friendship and information sharing what these forums are all about? :2


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## hyper_dermic (Dec 17, 2006)

Blowing info out of proportions = misinformation, and attacking someone because of their opnions is not exactly friendship.
But that just my take on this.

-hyp

BTW, here is my "opnion" from the previous post.
dont get yourselves worked up about it... but at the same time, dont do anything outright stupid. the feds will tolerate a little circumventing of the law, but if you rub their face in it, they will shut you down. (people who got busted were most likely getting LARGE shipments and re-selling them for profit here in the USA)

i guess thats bad advice..


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## LSUTIGER (Jan 13, 2004)

hyper_dermic said:


> Right, im the guy quoting posts in a forum as hard evidence.
> 
> Any possible fines are an isolated incident.
> Everyone knows what they are getting into when they make these decisions.
> ...


here is your hard evidence, you can stick it where the sun don't shine 

hxxp://www.treas.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/civpen/penalties/12012006.pdf

replace xx with tt



hyper_dermic said:


> Blowing info out of proportions = misinformation, and attacking someone because of their opnions is not exactly friendship.
> But that just my take on this.
> 
> -hyp
> ...


I never blew anything out of proportion and I know for a fact that some who have received the new letters were not purchasing large amounts.


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## Blaylock-cl (Apr 28, 2006)

hpe,

You stated: “screw the new letters and the feds”

I’m curious... Are you referring to letters that come from Customs that you might receive in an empty cigar box in the mail …or are you referring to letters that might come from OFAC that state 'that failure to respond to this letter may result in imposition of civil penalties'?


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## LSUTIGER (Jan 13, 2004)

Blake Lockhart said:


> hpe,
> 
> You stated: "screw the new letters and the feds"
> 
> I'm curious... Are you referring to letters that come from Customs that you might receive in an empty cigar box in the mail &#8230;or are you referring to letters that might come from OFAC that state 'that failure to respond to this letter may result in imposition of civil penalties'?


When he posted that he probably had no idea about the new letters


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## hyper_dermic (Dec 17, 2006)

Since when is any of this news?
Those letters are old hat. they have been handing them out SINCE THE EMGARGO.
last i remember, nothing has changed. If you choose to deal wiht habanos, you are choosing to deal with contraband.

If you say you PERSONALLY know someone who got a nasty-gram, well then i apologize for that, and i hope them all the best. But the thing that strikes me as odd is, why post it to a forum? thats a good way to give the feds more evidence against you. I would think that if someone got a summons from the govt, they woluld keep their mouths shut, as its hard to procecute with no evidence. If you say... destroyed your collections of habanos, but they have a papertrail, without the actual habanos in your poseession , you could say that you never recieved the shipment, and you never made it in the 1st place.
perhaps you were under the impression that they were NC Cohibas... you see, there are plenty of places where you can get NC Cohibas, it can be confusing.
the last thing i would do it go running around posting "HEY EVERYONE! I GOT BUSTED DOING SOMETHING ILLEGAL!!! CHECK IT OUT< HERES MY LETTER!!!"

since you know someone PERSONALLY like you hang out with them on a regualr basis in real life, then you can ask them. how much were they dealing with.. under $10k? Under $1k? under $500? a 3-pack?

anyways, this is nothing new.... 
and i stand by my original statement. 
#1 Screw the feds, Screw their letters.. they can shove them up their butts.
(thats not saying i wont be pooping in my pants if i get one.)

#2 dont get yourselves worked up about it... but at the same time, dont do anything outright stupid. the feds will tolerate a little circumventing of the law, but if you rub their face in it, they will shut you down. (people who got busted were most likely getting LARGE shipments and re-selling them for profit here in the USA)

-hyp

*screw the Feds is more of a figure of speech, i dont mean you should actually have sex with them. Nor do i mean wad up the letter and toss it out the window if you get one. I think anyone who actually got a letter would be smart enough not to do this. if action is taken against you, please be smart enough to get a lawyer. I probably should have put this disclamer at the bottem of my 1st post, i didnt realise that there were so many gullible people here, willing to follow anything typed in an internet forum.
So, for the final time "screw the feds and their letters" is a way for me to express my disgust with the embargo and its enforcement
what i choose to do is my business, and by no means do i condone the breaking of federal law.
must be 21 or older to enter, some restrictions apply. no purchase required.


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## BaDaBoom (Dec 21, 2006)

drdice said:


> Don't borrow money to do this. Only disposable income.


Amen. Cut up the damn cards if you have to. Just finished paying off $40k in CC debt my wife aquired before we were married. It took us years, and every monthly check writing was painful reminder of what we could do with the money now that we're older and wiser. You will regret it.

Find a few cigars you like, buy them in 5ers, and treat yourself once in a while to something extra tasty. Then they're still special. 

They're just cigars.

:bn


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## LSUTIGER (Jan 13, 2004)

This is what I do:

I have $100 from each check (every 2 weeks) deposited into my personal checking account. This money is for me to blow on whatever I want. I also have my personal credit card. I ALWAYS pay off my credit card. If I spend a little more than what I have in my checking account at the time, then I wait until I have enough money to pay off my card before the payment is due. I also have a personal savings account with a few hundred just for emergency purchases, if I use any of that I wait until I put the money back (I have only had to reach into that pot once ). This way I never have any credit card debt and I don't have to pay any interest. :2


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## JJG (Oct 16, 2006)

When I first got into this I felt the need to try as many different brands as possible. What I realized from trying all these brands is that they are all pretty similar and its not neccesary to have them all. Recently I've been buying less but sticking to the higher end brands where you really start to notice a difference in quality and flavor. 

I'm a little worried now because I think I may have fallen victim to the darkside. After smoking my first Cuban, I just don't look forward to NCs anymore. I think all of my cigar budget will go towards ISOMs. I worry about the risks but I can't stop now. I honestly did not expect them to be SO much better. The difference in flavor is like night and day. Thank god I have a whole box. I planned on aging it but that's not going to happen.


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## LSUTIGER (Jan 13, 2004)

JJG said:


> I'm a little worried now because I think I may have fallen victim to the darkside. After smoking my first Cuban, I just don't look forward to NCs anymore. I think all of my cigar budget will go towards ISOMs. I worry about the risks but I can't stop now. I honestly did not expect them to be SO much better. The difference in flavor is like night and day. Thank god I have a whole box. I planned on aging it but that's not going to happen.


you must be crazy



:tpd:


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